A support element having a structure similar to the pre-cited cam follower is known from DE-A 197 10 578. The stop means of this support element comprises a narrow cylindrical element which extends in a recess of the housing and projects slightly in radially inward direction. In its inner region, this cylindrical element cooperates on the one hand with a longitudinal groove on the outer wall of the inner element and, on the other hand, with a bore-proximate shoulder of this longitudinal groove which acts as an upper end stop to define the relative position of the inner element and the housing.
A drawback of this prior art support element is that only an extremely short length of its stop means is fixed in the reception of the housing. At the same time, its extension toward the inner element by which the upper end stop and the prevention of rotation are realized has only a minimal dimension. This results in the formation of enormous stresses in the regions of fixation and of the upper end stop of the stop means when this is subjected to rotational and impact loads. Another danger is that the stop means may come loose from its locked position so that, in the worst case, an alignment of the receptions for the coupling means in the inner element and the housing for realizing the relative position is rendered more difficult or even impossible and, due to material loading, the surrounding material in the region of the stop means is deformed.